The Sniper
by jebilgutay
Summary: Ichigo discovers a group similar to the Quincys. How will the soul society respond to this. Will they try to make peace? Will it be another genocide? Or will the soul reapers be the ones that are wiped out? AU. un-cancled
1. Chapter 1

**The Snipers**

Standard disclaimers apply

(One year after the war with Aizen.)

"Good morning class, and welcome back." Miss. Misato said to her students. Ichigo

Kurosaki was sitting at his desk surrounded by Chad, Orihime, And Uryu. Even though it

was the first day of the new school year, Ichigo couldn't help but smile. Aizen had been defeated, the hougyoku had been destroyed, and Karakura town was safe.

"Now, before we begin, class we have a new student joining us." The door opened, and in came the new student. He wore dark sunglasses, and his hair was spiky, and golden-brown. If it wasn't for the school uniform, he would have looked like a biker. "Why don't you tell us you're name."

"My name is Isao Tanaka. My family moved here when my fathers company relocated.

"And what dose you're father's company produce?"

"Weapons and military technology. But I don't like to talk about that."

"Well, take a seat wherever you like." And Isao took a seat next to Ichigo.

At lunch, Ichigo and the others ate on the rooftop as they always did when Uryu said, quite abruptly. "Did any of you notice that the new student has high spiritual pressure?"

"Really? I couldn't tell."

"Coming from you, Ichigo, that's not really saying much."

"Shut up." At that moment Ichigo's soul reaper badge went off. Ichigo then pressed in to his chest and transformed into a soul reaper.

"I'll be back soon. And he disappeared.

A few moments latter Ichigo found the hollow he was looking for. He was about to draw his sword when something shot through the air just missing his left ear. What ever the object was it collided with the hollow and it's head exploded.

"What the hell just happened?" Ichigo asked himself, having gotten over the shock. He turned around and saw a figure on the rooftop behind him. He couldn't make out his face, but he looked like he was holding something long in both hands.

"Hey!" Ichigo shouted, but the figure disappeared when he realized he had been spotted.

Back on campus, Ichigo told the other's what he saw.

"You think he could have been another soul reaper?" Orihime asked

"If he was, then what did he kill that hollow with?"

"Maybe that was his shikai." said Chad. But before Ichigo could respond the new kid, Isao came walking by. As he passed he gave Ichigo a shape piercing look, and Ichigo swore that he felt a small amount of spiritual pressure being released.

Later that night Ichigo laid on his bed, waiting for his badge to go off again."

"What are you waiting for, Ichigo?" Kon asked. But before Ichigo could answer his badge went off. He grabbed it, turned into a soul reaper. He then grabbed Kon and stuffed his hand down his mouth. Despite his struggling, Ichigo managed to pull Kon's pill form out of the stuffed animal. He then dropped the pill into his bodies' mouth and rushed out the window.

"Don't do anything stupid." Ichigo shouted as he left.

He searched around until he the hollow he was looking for. But instead of killing it, he hide on a rooftop waited for the mystery figure to arrive. The minutes passed, but nothing happened. Ichigo was beginning to worry that the hollow would return to Hueco Mundo before he the mystery person would arrive. But then, Ichigo saw someone on a roof below him. From this height he couldn't tell who he was. He jumped down from the roof, and descended as slowly, and quietly as possible. The figure had something strapped to his back. He pulled it off and Ichigo could tell it was a gun (a sniper rifle to be specific.) the figure took aim at the hollow, and then, a small dot of blue light shot from the end of the gun and on impact, the hollow's head completely blew apart.

"That was actually pretty cool." Ichigo said out loud. The stranger turned and Ichigo gasped, It was Isao Tanaka. "It's you! The new kid." At this, Isao used a technique similar to the flash step and disappeared.

"You say he used a gun?" Orihime asked. It was the next morning and Ichigo was telling his friends about Isao.

"I think he used a gun. Uryu, do you think he could be a Quincy?"

"Quincy's don't use guns!" Uryu responded. He sounded quite offended.

"Well, If he's not a soul reaper, and he's not a Quincy, what is he?" Asked Chad. "Why don't we ask him our selves." Orihime said, and she pointed behind the others." Ichigo, Uryu, and Chad turned around and came face to face with Isao.

"Hello." He said to the group.

"Okay, Isao. I want answers. Now!" Ichigo said, grabbing Isao by the collar.

"I'll tell you on the roof at lunch. Just make sure were alone." And he pried Ichigo's hand off of him and proceeded to class. Through out the lesson, Ichigo didn't take his eyes off of Isao, but Isao simply ignored him. As scheduled, they met on the roof at lunch.

"Now, tell us what's going on." Before Isao answered Ichigo, he looked around to make sure that they were alone. There was a group of girls eating under a tree below them, but their was nobody on the roof with them. After Isao finished his sweep of the area, he turned to the others, took a deep breath and said. "I'm a member of a growing organization called 'The Snipers.' We're a group of humans with high spiritual pressure, and we use our powers to destroy hollows. Just like the Quincys; only our weapons of choice are guns.

" 'Snipers,' I've never heard of them before." Uryu said after Isao finished his explanation.

"Well, our organization is only about fifty years old, so I'm not surprised. My only question is what are you going to do with me?"

Ichigo was at a loss of words. "I hadn't really think about that."

"I'll make you a deal. You see, the soul society doesn't know about my organization, and we want to keep it that way. So, I'll keep the hollow population in check for you, if none of you report any of this to the soul society. Deal?"

"Ichigo was puzzled. "Yah, that's fine, but…"

"Why don't you want the soul society to know about you?" Orihime finished Ichigo's sentence.

"Well, lets face it. The Soul Society's favorite method of solving their problems is genocide."

"What are you talking about." Ichigo was offended. "Think about it. Whenever a group of people with spirit powers threatens to become to powerful, the soul society is wipes them out. The Quincys were growing in strength and number, so The Soul Society slaughtered them to near extinction. The same thing happened with the Bounts. If the Soul Society found out about my organization, history would repeat it's self all over again."

"The Soul Society had a good reason for killing off the Quincys and Bounts. Both threatened the cycle of trans migration." Uryu adjusted his glasses and continued. "The Quincys destroyed hollows instead of cleansing them. They threatened to cause the apocalypse. And the Bounts ate human souls and threatened to do the same thing."

"Let's not argue the matter. Do we have a deal, or not?" and Isao held out his hand for Ichigo to shack it. Ichigo wasn't sure if he trusted this guy, but after the war with Aizen, he decided he could use a brake. And he shook Isao's hand.

"Oh, and for the record. The weapons we Snipers use don't kill hollows. They cleanses them and allows them to enter the soul society. Just like a zanpakuto."

After school, Ichigo stopped by the Urahara's shop. "Ah, Ichigo. What can I do for you?"

"Actually, Mr. Urahara, I'm here to see Yoruichi."

"I'm up here." Yoruichi called down from the roof (she was in her cat form.)

"I have a favorer to ask. Come down and I'll tell you."

A few moments later, Ichigo and Yoruichi had seated them selves around Urahara's table, and Ichigo told Yoruichi everything about Isao.

"So, you want me to spy on this guy for you?" Yoruichi asked. (she had returned to her human form.)

"That's pretty much it."

"I could have done that if you asked me." Kisuke said as he brought the two drinks. He sounded both jealous and offended at the same time.

"So, If you cant tell anyone from the soul society about this, why come to me?'

"I figure, sense you and Mr. Urahara abandoned the soul society, it wouldn't go against my contract, as long as you keep this a secret." Yoruichi didn't say anything else. She merely turned back into a cat (her cloths crumpled in a pile on the floor) and ran out the open door.

Later that night, Ichigo was debating whether asking Yoruichi to spy on Isao was a good idea when he heard a tap on his window. He opened it and found Yoruichi floating in mid air. He was about to ask her how things went with Isao when a horrible odor reached his nose.

"What happened?" he asked holding his nose.

"You're _friend_ found out that I was following him and caught me."

"How?"

"He's got a really mean quick-draw. He shot me with some kind of tranquilizer dart. The next thing I know, I'm lock in a cat-carrier in a dumpster with a collar around my neck to seal in my spiritual pressure. If it hadn't been for a hobo who stopped by I probably would have been shipped off to the dump." Ichigo couldn't help but giggle at her story.

"You think that's funny?"

"Yah, I think it is kind of funny."

"Well, conceder you're self lucky that I wont report any of this to the soul society. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go take a bath." and she was gone.

As the days progressed, Ichigo was reassured that Yoruichi hadn't informed the soul society about Isao. Even though Isao was mad that Ichigo had sent someone spy on him the deal they made still held. Isao kept the hollow population down, and Ichigo enjoyed his time off. It seemed that things were working out well, until.

"Renji, Rukia? What are you two doing here." About three weeks after the deal, Rukia and Renji had arrived at Ichigo's school dressed in their school uniforms.

"Orders from above." Renji told him. Their have been reports of an unknown figure with strong spiritual pressure killing hollows around here, so we were sent to investigate."

To be continued. I hope you liked it. I want to have the Snipers represent the modern world, that's why they use guns. Please review.


	2. Chapter 2

The Sniper: chapter 2

"So? The soul society thinks theirs a new threat on the loose?" Ichigo, Rukia, Renji, and the others were gathered around Mr. Urahara's table.

"That's right, Kisuke. But we don't have enough information be certain if this person is a threat or not." Rukia replied. She took a sip of her tea and continued. "All we know is that he appears to use weapons very similar to the guns used here in the world of the living." Orihime, Chad, Uryu, Kisuke, and Yoruichi all gave Ichigo a sharp look. As if they were expecting him to say that he knew who this person was. But he couldn't just turn in Isao. Especially not after making that deal.

The meeting adjourned with everyone agreeing to go out to try and find this 'person' as Rukia called him. But while Rukia and Renji went off into the night, Orihime asked Ichigo, "What are you going to do about Isao?"

"I'm going to try and find him and tell him to lay low for a while."

"Do you really think it's a good idea to keep secrets from the soul society?" said Yoruichi."

"Well, I cant just turn Isao in. It's not like he's hurting anyone."

"Even so, the soul society needs to know about The Snipers.

"I told you. Isao says that if the soul society finds out about The Snipers it will be another genocide. Besides, I made a promise not to him." and Ichigo disappeared with his flash step.

"That boys going to get himself in a lot of trouble." Said Yoruichi.

Ichigo didn't know where Isao lived, so he looked for him in the most popular spots in town; The arcade, the mall. But no luck. He decided that he would talk to Isao tomorrow at school and just make sure that Rukia or Renji wouldn't hear them. He was about to head back to Urahara's shop to pick up his body when,BOOM! A ear-splitting noise broke the quiet and Ichigo, knowing what the sound was, set off to find were it was coming from. After a few minutes of searching he found himself out side a three- story house next to the river. He looked up and saw what looked like a Frisbee get thrown into the air. A few seconds later a dot of blue light shot through the air, followed by another bang, and upon impact the Frisbee blew apart, the pieces fell into the river. Ichigo leaped onto the roof, where he found Isao holding a weapon similar to a rifle, and had what looked like the device that marksmen use for target practice (he didn't know the exact name) pointed at the river.

"Did you want something?" Isao asked as he reloaded the machine with another disk.

'Yah. I've got to tell you something." Isao then pressed a peddle on the ground and the disk was launched into the air. "Its about the soul society." Isao didn't fire at his target. He just lowered his gun and turned to face Ichigo.

"Did you turn me in?" he asked

"Of coarse not. But they seem to know about what you're doing, and they sent someone to find you."

"So, do you want me to keep a low profile, or," he raised his gun "handle the matter my self?"

Ichigo's heart skipped several beats at the thought of Isao shooting Rukia and Renji. He shook the idea out of his mind and said, "Just lay low for a while. Don't raise you're spirit energy to high, and try to avoid killing hollows until this blows over."

"I'll try." Isao looked down at his gun and said, "as long as you're here, would you care for a snack? My parents are out on a dinner date, so well have the house to our selves."

"Sure." Ichigo replied. A moment later, Ichigo found himself in Isao's kitchen enjoying a leftover steak. As they ate, Isao asked Ichigo about his friends. And Ichigo told him about how they all meet, how they got their powers, and all the battles they've been through.

"So, you actually went to Hueco Mundo?"

"Yah. To save Orihime."

"Sounds to me like she's the weakest member of you're group. No offense."

"Well, you're kind of right. But her power is very special. That's why Aizen kidnapped her in the first place."

"Sounds to me like you're going to have a lot of stories to tell you're kids one day. I have a few stories myself."

"Really? Like what."

"Well, one time when I was thirteen, my father took me to Hueco Mundo for training. We spent my whole summer vacation their killing hollows. And, not to brag or anything, but, I killed five Vasto Lordes while I was their." He finished his tale with a proud smile.

"Five Vasto Lordes! How did you do it?"

"I'll show you." he got up from the table. "Be right back." and he took off. He returned a few moments later holding something that looked like a small water pistol.

"You killed five Vasto Lordes with that?" Ichigo said, sounding as skeptical as he felt.

"This weapon was designed specifically for the purpose of killing captains or anything stronger. Personally, I can fire this thing five consecutive times before I have to reload." Ichigo wasn't sure what he meant by 'reload' but he still didn't believe Isao. "Hard to believe? Isn't it?"

"I don't believe you at all." Ichigo said as he got up from his chair. "Well, I'd better be heading home. Don't want to over stay my welcome." and Isao showed him the door.

The next morning at school, Orihime was taken by surprise when she found a letter on her desk. She opened it and read, _Orihime, I would like to talk to you alone if at all possible. Meet me at my house after school between 3 and 5:30, and come alone. My address in on the back. _

_Isao Tanaka _

_P.S. This is not an attempt to woo you._

Orihime wasn't expecting this. Guys (and some girls) had always tried to get her attention by leaving her notes or presents. But this was to serious to be a love letter. She could tell by his hand writing that he wanted her to take him seriously. When Isao entered the classroom Orihime walked up to him and said, "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"I'll tell you at my house."

"Could we meet at my house instead? I live alone, so no one will bother us."

"That will work." and he took his seat.

"Orihime." Orihime jumped as Tatsuki called out her name.

"Tatsuki, you scared me. When did you get here?"

"Just now. But forget about me. What are you doing? I thought you had you're heart set on Ichigo."

"Isao just wants to talk to me, that's all."

"That's what all the guys say." and Tatsuki sat down. All throughout the day Orihime couldn't stop wondering why Isao wanted to talk to her. When school ended, Orihime and Isao left together. As they walked, Isao did his best to ignore what his class mates were saying. "I cant believe it! The new kid got Orihime!" "Hey Isao, congratulations!"

They continued their walk in silence until they reached Orihime's apartment. Once inside, Orihime asked Isao if he wanted something to drink, and apologized for the state of her apartment.

"Thank you." he said taking the glass Orihime gave him. He knelt down at her table, took a sip from his cup and said, "Now, let me be clear. The reason I came here was not to try and win you over. I came because I wanted to make you an offer."

"What kind of offer?" Orihime asked, kneeling down to the table.

"Last night, Ichigo came to my house. He told me about how the soul society is looking for me, and asked me to lay low for a while. After that, we started talking, and he told me all about the time you were kidnapped and how he and the others went to Hueco Mundo to save you." When Isao mentioned Hueco Mundo, a cold chill ran down Orihime's spine. "When Ichigo told me that story, I was just heart broken. And that is why I am willing to train you in the ways of The Sniper." Orihime was stunned. She wasn't expecting this.

"Thank you, but I don't think I have what it takes to be a Sniper. And I just cant see myself using a gun."

"Suit you're self. I just thought that after Aizen, you would have gotten sick of being just a healer, and a damsel in distress. But just in case you change you're mind, my offer will remain open." And he left, leaving Orihime alone, and wondering what to do.

Later that night, as Orihime sat in her bath tub, she went over what Isao said over and over in her mind. _I just thought that after Aizen, you would have gotten sick of being just a healer and a damsel in distress. _Even though her time as Aizen's prisoner was short, she was still haunted every night by it. She kept having nightmares bout Aizen and Ulquiorra. She couldn't go through something like that ever again. But Isao was right. She was just a damsel in distress. Other then her healing and her shield, she couldn't think of any way that she had ever contributed to her friends. But if she accepted Isao's offer, she could get stronger, she could learn how to fight, and be able to help Ichigo the next time he needed it. Decision made, Orihime got out to the tub, dried herself off, put on her night gown, and went to bed.

The next morning Orihime went to school with a noticeable change in attitude. Usually, she would smile and greet all of her friends. But today, her expression was serious, cold, and distant. She didn't even reply when Tatsuki said "Good morning." She just walked into her class room, found Isao, walked up to him and said, "I would like to take you're offer."

**To be continued. Bet you weren't expecting that. I plan on going further into this part of the story. Please review**.


	3. Chapter 3

The Sniper; chapter 3

"I'm glad to hear that you changed you're mind. Meet me at my house around five- thirty, tonight. Do you still have my address?"

"Yes." Orihime replied.

"Good. Oh, and wear you're gym clothes, you're going to be working up a sweat."

"So, Orihime? What did you and Isao talk about yesterday?" It was lunch time, and Orihime was enjoying an eggplant, green-bean, and peanut butter sandwich under a tree with Tatsuki when she asked her a question that made her heart skip.

"Oh, well, umm," Orihime was at a loss of words. She didn't want to tell Tatsuki that Isao was going to teach her how to shoot, but she had to give her an answer. "he asked me if I, um, understood the math homework. And after that, he asked if I could tutor him."

"Orihime, you don't know anything about tutoring."

"Yah, but he offered to pay me, and I couldn't really say no." After that, she ate the rest of her lunch in silence. Tatsuki, however, wasn't satisfied with Orihime's answer, and had a pretty good idea that she knew what was really going on between those two.

During her tutorial class, Orihime tried to finish her homework as fast possible, she didn't know how long her lessons with Isao would last, and she didn't want her school work hanging over her head.

After school, Orihime went straight home and changed into her gym clothes. She then decided it would be best to eat dinner as soon as possible; she had always heard that you should eat several minutes before you start a work out. By the time she finished it was five o'clock. She looked around and found the note with Isao's address folded up on her dresser. Once she had the note in her pocket, she grabbed a jacket, and left, locking the door behind her. She walked around for abut fifteen minutes until she arrived at a three story, river side house with the same address as the note. She approached the front door, but before she knocked to come in she thought, _I could turn back now_. But she shook the idea out of her head and knocked three times. A minute later, a man wearing a business suit, a tie, and glasses opened the door.

"Are you Orihime Inoue?" The man asked. Surprised that he knew her name, Orihime nodded. "Isao told me you might be coming." and he let her in. The inside of the house was like something out of a castle, or a five-star penthouse. The furniture was highly decorative, and looked very expensive. Their television was one of those HD plasma screens that hung on the wall. They had beautiful pottery on their fire place mantle, and the paintings hanging from the walls looked like authentic renaissance art. Orihime had her mouth hanging open when Isao came into the room and greeted her.1

"Orihime, you came." When he saw the look on her face Isao chuckled.

"You must be rich!" she said.

"Well, my father does own Tanaka Enterprise." Orihime looked up at Isao in disbelief. Tanaka Enterprise was Japan's number one producer of military technology. It's owner, Kenta Tanaka was one of the richest men in the country.

"I did say I moved here because my fathers company relocated. Well, come with me. Dad, I'm taking her down to the training area." Isao said to his dad, who's only reply was, "Fine." Isao lead Orihime down a flight of stares to a door that she guessed lead to the basement. But when Isao opened the door Orihime gave a quiet gasp. On the other side, there was a long, narrow, brightly lit hall way. The walls, ceiling, and floor were bright white, and doors lined the walls on either side. As they walked, Orihime tried her best to read the signs posted on the doors. They passed one door that said 'weaponry,' and another that said 'testing area,' but the one that got her attention the most was a door that looked like it was made of solid steel, and had a key pad lock. The sign on this door said, in bold, bright red letters, 'TOP SECRET, AND HIGHLY DANGEROUS! KEEP OUT!' Despite her better judgment, Orihime asked, "What's in here, Isao?"

"I cant tell you that yet." he replied.

"'Yet?'"

"If you take you're training seriously and prove you're self, and if I feel I can trust you, I might show you what's behind that door. Ah, here we are." They stopped out side a door at the end of the hall that said 'Training Room,' Isao reached for the handle, and opened it. The inside reminded Orihime of 's, and the Vizards' training areas. The terrain was hard and rocky with no plants. The ceiling looked like a cloudless sky, and it was brightly lit, as if it were the middle of the day. Orihime also noticed that there were several weapons propped up against a rock, and five tin cans lined up on a flat bolder several feet away, and feet to the right of that was a large white cube on a pillar.

"I know this must be a little to much to take in." Isao said

"Actually, I've seen this sort of thing before." Isao only responded was a, "Huh." He than placed his hand on a flat bolder and said, "Sit down, I want to show you something before we start."

Orihime did as she was told and sat down. Isao then pulled something out of his pocket. It looked like a small, silver water pistal. "See That?" Isao pointed at the cube on the pillar." That is a block of synthetic Sekkiseki. First, do you know what Sekkiseki is?"

"Yes, It's a stone that reples spirit energy. It's supposed to be very rare, even in the Soul Society."

"That's why I said 'synthetic.' That Sekkiseki was created artificially, in a lab. And I brought it down here to make a demonstration and to prove a point." He pointed his small pistal at the stone. "The point I'm trying to make is this; If you follow my orders, and can keep up with my training regimen, one day you'll be able to do this." He squeezed the triger and with a bang like thunder a blue dot shot through the air and straight at the Sekkiseki. Opon impact, the slab of white stone was blown to smithereens. Shards went flying through the air, and some even cut Orihimes cheek. When everything had settled, all that remained of the Sekkiseki and the pillar was a pile of rubble. Orihime was dumbfounded, how could something so small be so destructive? Isao then turned to her and said, "Even though that Sekkiseki was created artificaly, it was just as effective at repelling spirit energy as the real thing. Just don't get any ideas. It will be a long time before you can do anything like that." he put his small gun back in his pocket. "Well, lets get started. First I'm going to need you to give me you're hair pins."

"Why?" She asked. Her voice had a hint of fear.

"Because, Ichigo told me that you're hair pins are the source of you're powers, and I don't want you using them while I'm training you. Now, please hand them over." Orihime slowly took off her hair pins, and gave them to Isao, who locked them in a little Sekkiseki box that he pulled out of his pocket.

He then picked up a weapon that looked similar to a hand gun and gave it to her. "We'll start with a simple exercise called 'Shoot The Can,'" he pointed at the cans he had set up. Orihime turned to them, pointed the gun at the one in the center, closed her eyes, and pulled the trigger. She didn't see what happened, but the sound made when she pulled the trigger made her jump.

"Not bad, but you'll have an easier time if you actually _look_ where you're shooting. You're stance was off, too. Show me how you stood again." Orihime took her previous stance. "Okay. First, you're legs need to be apart so they form a triangle," Orihime spread her legs into a triangle. "Are you left or right handed?"

"Right."

"Then you're hips should be at a 45- degree angle." He took Orihime by the waist (She blushed when he did this) and turned her so her hips were at the appropriate angle. "Now, grip the gun as high as possible," He took her hand and moved it higher up so it was just behind the back strip. He then curled her thumb down, and placed her index finger on the trigger. "Now, since you are new at this, you should probably hold it with both hands." He took Orihime's left hand and placed it on her right. "And since you're right handed, place you're left leg forward, and you're right leg back. But make sure you're hips still have that 45- degree angle." Trying hard to remember all of this, Orihime did as she was told. "Good, now give it another try."

Orihime took aim at the center can again, and (keeping her eyes open this time) pulled the trigger. With a loud bang, a dot of blue light shot from the end of the pistol. This time it actually made contact with it's target.

"Good work!"

"I got it!" Orihime yelled as she sharply turned to face Isao.

"Careful! " Isao shouted as Orihime's gun pointed in his vicinity.

"Oh, sorry." Orihime replied.

"Don't get cocky, you still have four to go." Orihime turned to face the remaining cans. She took her stance again, and fired. But her shot was to far left and didn't make contact. She fired again, and again. After about twenty shots, only two cans were left, but Orihime noticed that ever time she fired, she lost a considerable amount of spirit energy.

"Felling drained?" Isao asked. Orihime took her eyes of her next target and nodded. "Well, once you hit those last two well take a break." Orihime returned her attention to her target, took aim and fired. She hit her target, but now her spirit energy was so weak that she could barely hold her gun. She took aim at her last target, but her vision was starting to blur. She shook her head and fired. However, her bullet only traveled a few inches before it faded out of existence.

"If you can't fire we'll take that break now." Orihime aimed at the last can, but she was to weak to support her own weight and collapsed. Isao walked over to her, pulled a small bottle out of his pocket, cracked it open and gave it to her. "Drink this. You'll feel better." Orihime took the bottle, and drained it in one gulp. And almost at once she felt her energy return, and she was able to stand again.

"This is hard." she said wiping the sweat from her fore head.

"Did you think it would be easy?" Orihime blushed, an then tried to change the subject.

"So, how long have you been a Sniper?" she sat back down next to Isao.

"Since I was three, I think. My father wanted me to get started on my training as soon as possible to protect his reputation."

"His reputation?"

"My dad, at one time, was one of the stronges Snipers alive. And he's also our head at developing new technology. Remember that door we passed that said to stay out? My dad built whats behind it. But since he retired from the Sniper way of life, it's been my responsibility. Wait, why am I telling you this?" Orihime shrugged, and grunted,

"I don't know." Fifteen minutes later Isao said, "Well, you should get back to training. You should be fully restored by now."

Isao was right. After drinking that liquid, Orihime's spirit energy had been fully restored. She took her stance, aimed, and fired. This time, the spirit bullet flew straight and blew the tin can to pieces.

"Good work. Lets move on." He walked behind another boulder and rolled out a large bull's eye attached to a digital counter. "See if you can get three thousand points. The largest circle is twenty-five points. The medium is fifty, and the smallest if a hundred." The idea of trying to reach three thousand points seemed a little unreasonable to Orihime, but she didn't complain. She mearly took aim, and fired. Her first shot hit the medium circle, the second hit the largest, her third shot was several feet from the target. By the time she reached one thousand points Orihime had run out of spirit energy and asked Isao if he had any more of those drinks.

"Here," he said handing her one. "But this is you're last one. Drink too many of these and they can do weird things to you're body."

"Like what?" Orihime asked after she drained the bottle.

"One time, I drank ten of those in one day. I was constipated for three weeks after." Orihime couldn't help but giggle at Isao's story. She continued with her exercise, but now she was more cautious with her aim. She managed to score two- thousand five hundred points, but she was at her limit, again.

_Almost there. Just a couple more shots._ She thought to her self.

"Stop. Were done for the day." Isao put his hand on Orihime's forearm.

"But I can keep going." Isao gave Orihime a stern look. "I mean, yes… master." Isao's expression changed from anger to amusement when Orihime said 'master,' and he gave a small smile. He then opened the box containing Orihime's hair pins, and threw them to her. She caught them and put them back on. Isao then looked at his watch and said, "It's getting late. Would you like me to walk you home?"

"Thank you, but I'll be fine." Orihime replied. Isao nodded and lead her out of the training room. While walking down the white hall, Orihime took another look at the steel plated door. _Whatever's behind that door,_ she thought. _It must be incredibly powerful._

A moment later, Orihime and Isao were back up stairs. Isao opened the front door for her and said. "Same time tomorrow?"

"Okay." Orihime replied as she stepped out.

"Good night, my student." and he closed the door.

As Orihime walked, she couldn't help but smile. She was completely worn down, and exhausted, but she felt happy and confident. She looked up at the moon and quietly made a promise to herself. _Ichigo, you and the others risked you're lives to save me. But I swear, I will get stronger. I will master the ways if the Sniper, so next time there's danger, I'll be able to fight by you're side, and not be a burden to you or anyone._

A month and a half passed since Rukia and Renji had begun their search for the unknown marksman, and Renji had just about had enough. He, Rukia, Ichigo, Chad, and Uryu, were gathered around Kisuke's table; as usual. But none of them knew were Orihime was. They hadn't seen much of her lately. But nobody was really thinking about Orihime at the moment because Renji was in a fit of rage.

"Whoever this guy is, he's driving me crazy!" he slammed his fist on the table, making their glasses shack. "We've been here for six weeks, and we haven't found anything! I doubt that this guy even existed!"

"Maybe he found out we were looking for him and ran away?" Rukia said, trying to calm Renji. Ichigo was going crazy. Trying to keep the Snipers a secret was unbearable. He didn't know how long he could keep his promise to Isao.

"Where is Orihime?" He asked, trying to change the subject.

"I don't know, but other then in school, I haven't seen her all that much." Replied Rukia.

"If it's alright with the rest of you, I would like to go and find her." Ichigo asked, hoping that he could leave.

"Go ahead." said Kisuke, who obviously knew the real reason why Ichigo wanted to be excused.

Ichigo practically ran out of the house, and when he go outside he let out a huge sigh of relief. As he walked to Orihime's house, he debated whether or not to tell Rukia and Renji about Isao. When he arrived at Orihime's apartment he noticed that none of her lights were on. He knocked on the door, hoping to at least here her say "Come in." or, "Go away!" but nothing.

"If you're looking for Orihime, she's not here." Ichigo turned around to see Tatsuki leaning up against the railing.

"Where is she then?"

"Probably with the new kid, Isao."

"Isao?"

"She told me that she was tutoring him, but I don't believe her. If anything, I think he's tutoring her, if you know what I mean." She gave Ichigo a naughty smile and raised her eyebrows." Ichigo was clueless for a minute, but then he realized what Tatsuki meant. When she saw the look of shock on Ichigo's face, Tatsuki turned around and walked away as if nothing had happened.

Ichigo then took out his soul reaper badge, but before he used it, he looked around to see if it was safe for him to leave his body laying here. There was no one around, but just as a precaution, when he turned into a soul reaper, he carried his body up onto the roof.

"No one should see it here." he said. And he leaped into the air, and used flash step all the way to Isao's house. He didn't even know why he was so worried. He doubted that Isao had any plans to hurt Orihime, But he still felt the need to hurry.

When he finally arrived at Isao's house, he found him and Orihime outside talking.

"Orihime!" He shouted from above. Orihime and Isao looked up and saw Ichigo descend. When he landed he stood in front of Orihime and held his Zanpakuto to Isao's throat.

"Ichigo, what are you doing!?" Orihime yelled as she knocked Ichigo's sword out of the way and stood in front of Isao to shield him.

"What the hell was that all about, Ichigo!? And what are you doing here anyway!?" Isao demanded

"I came here to, umm," Only one reason came to mind, and it would be very embarrassing to say. But he finished his sentences anyway. "save Orihime." and he blushed bright red.

"Orihime's not my prisoner!"

"It's true, Ichigo. I came here because I wanted to. Isao's been teaching me the ways of the Snipers." Ichigo turned, if possible, even redder.

"I am so, so sorry Isao. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?" Isao, having gotten over the shock of having a sword at his throat, scratched his chin and said, "If you want to make it up to me, lets have a fight."

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next one should be very fun to write, and you'll even get a sample of what's behind the secret door. If you liked my work, please review and tell my why. Also, I apologize for any mistakes in grammar or spelling **


	4. Chapter 4

The Sniper; Chapter 4

"You want to fight me?" Ichigo said in disbelief. "Why do you want that?"

"Well, it's not that I want to fight you, I just want to give my student," He patted Orihime on the head. "a demonstration of how a fully trained Sniper fights." Ichigo still looked uncertain. Seeing this, Isao added, "It wont be a fight to the death or anything, and Orihime, you can be the referee and stop the fight if you thinks things are getting out of control."

"Alright, you're on." Ichigo said resting his sword on his shoulder.

"Good."

"Would it be alright if I referee the match?" Interrupted a female voice. Ichigo turned around to see Yoruichi and Kisuke standing behind him.

"And who are you?" Isao asked.

"You and I have already meet," Yoruichi said with a slight frown. "Though we were never properly introduced. My name is Yoruichi Shihouin."

"Oh, yah! I remember. You're that cat I threw in a dumpster. I didn't recognize you without you're tail." Yoruichi's frown turned into a full glare.

"And I'm Kisuke Urahara." Kisuke said as he folded up his lucky fan.

"I've heard of you. Tell me, have you invented any time machines lately?"

"No, not yet, but I'll get around to it." he said in the most humorous manor possible.

"What are you two doing here anyway?" Ichigo interrupted.

"When you didn't come back, we wanted to see what was going on. So we followed you're spiritual pressure and it lead us here."

"Isao, these are the people I told about you." .

"Right, when you broke you promise."

"To quote Uryu, 'I prefer to think of it as a loop-hole.'"

"No matter, lets just head down to the training area so we can get this over with."

"Before we do, Orihime, what are you doing here?" Kisuke asked.

"She's my student. I've been training her in the ways of the Sniper, and she's made great progress. she's already up to a 'B' class.

" 'B' class." Yoruichi asked.

"It means I've mastered the basics, but I'm still learning."

"Well, come in. Orihime, tonight's lesson is going to last a little longer. I want you to watch how I fight and take notes."

"Yes, master."

"And stop calling me that. It's not cute anymore."

Nobody said anything as Isao lead them down to the training room, but when they passed the steel plated door, Kisuke eyed it with interest and suspicion.

"What could he have that would need that level of protection?" He whispered to Yoruichi, who was just as interested in the door as he was.

When they entered the training area, Isao said, "I'm going to go change into something more suited for combat. Orihime should be able to answer any questions you might have." and he left the room. Everyone starred at Orihime, which made her feel very uncomfortable.

"Orihime, how long…" Yoruichi began, but Orihime cut her off.

"Isao's been training me for the last six weeks." She looked down at the floor when she said this, as though she was to ashamed to even make eye contact.

"Why didn't you tell me, or Chad, or Uryu?" Ichigo asked.

"I wanted to keep it quiet until Rukia and Renji returned to the soul society."

"Orihime, has it ever accrued to you that Isao is only interested in you for you're

Shun Shun Rikka, like Aizen." Kisuke said as he sat on a rock. Orihime's shame suddenly turned to anger.

"I'll have you know, Isao hasn't asked me once about my Shun Shun Rikka! In fact, he forbids me from using it during training!"

"You need not worry about Orihime." They all turned around to see Isao standing in the entrance. They all stared at him with a look that said, 'What the hell!' His entire body was completely covered with holsters, each one occupied by a different kind of gun. Two were longer than his arms, which he carried on his back, others were the size of handguns. and the rest were about the size of water pistols. He had so many gun around him that it was almost impossible to see his clothes.

"I'm not interested in the ability to negate events. My reasons for taking her under my wing aren't nearly that complicated."

"Do you really think you're going to need all those weapons?" asked Yoruichi. Apparently ignoring what Isao had just said.

"You Soul Reapers rely only on you're Zanpakutos. We Snipers prefer more variety with our weapons." he then pointed to the medium sized guns around his waist. "These are for close combat." He then pointed at the long riffles on his back. "These are for long range." Lastly he pointed at the tiny pistols. "And these are our trump cards. Their for killing anything stronger that a captain."

"He's not joking, those things can kill a captain easy." Orihime added.

"Well, lets get this over with." Ichigo said as he drew his sword and took a battle stance. Isao had his hands held just a few inches above his handguns . Yoruichi then raised her hand in the air. "When you are ready," She swung her hand sharply down. "Begin!"

It happened so fast Ichigo could barely see it. Isao drew a set of pistols, and fired. Ichigo was barely able to knock the bullets away. He then used his flash step to try and get close enough to attack, but Isao used some kind of high-speed technique and disappeared.

"I hope you like my Flash Step 2.0. It's much more effective then what you're using." Ichigo turned around and saw Isao standing on a boulder several yards away.. "Not only am I fast, but I'm using my spirit energy to reduce the air friction around me. So I'm not fighting any drag."

Kisuke unfolded his lucky fan, wondering what fighting style Isao would use. He then turned to Orihime and saw that she looked very anxious and worried. "Don't worry. I'm sure Ichigo will do his best not to hurt Isao."

"It's not Isao I'm worried about, it's Ichigo." Kisuke and Yoruichi both turned and stared at Orihime. "You haven't seen what Isao can do, I have. Isao's not just any every- day Sniper. He's an 'S' class, and a member of The Elite. He's extremely powerful ."

"What do you mean by 'class?' and what's 'The Elite?'

"There are four different classes of Sniper. The first and lowest is the 'C' class. Their the beginners. Those who have just started and don't even know the basics. I was a 'C' class until just recently. Now, I'm a 'B' class. Their the ones who have mastered the basics, but are not ready for actual combat. Next, theirs the 'A' class. Their the ones who are ready for advanced level techniques and are skilled enough for actual combat. And finally, there is the 'S' class. They're the ones who have mastered all that there is to know about being a Sniper. All 'S' class Snipers are as strong, if not stronger then a Soul Reaper captain. Not only is Isao an 'S' class Sniper, but he could fight Aizen one-on-one. I can guarantee you that"

"What about The Elite?" Yoruichi asked.

"The Elite are the best of the best. You could say their the captains of the Snipers. There are only nine of them in the whole world, and Isao is one of them. I haven't met the other members, but if their anything like Isao, then the Elite's power is far greater then any of the Espada or captains."

"How do you become a member of the Elite?" Kisuke asked.

"You have to kill a Vasto Lorde."

They all turned their attention back to the fight. Ichigo was still chasing after Isao, who wasn't giving Ichigo any room to attack.

"Will you please stand still!" Ichigo shouted as he pursued. Losing his patience, Ichigo raised his sword over his head, "Getsuga Tensho!" he shouted as he swung it down with great force. A white-blue crescent shaped beam shot from the end of ichigo's sword and straight at Isao. But Isao fired a spirit bullet from his rifle and when the two made contact, they exploded.

"Unfortunately for you, I know how to deal with long range attacks!" Isao shouted. Ichigo then stopped and raised his sword in front of him. _I cant believe I have to use this._

"Ban…" he began, but Isao saw what he was trying to do and fired at Ichigo, forcing him to give up on his bankai so he could deflect the attack.

"Forget about it, Ichigo. I'm not giving you any chance to use you're bankai. I'm not like those other guys you fought in the past. I'm not interested on fighting you at full power. I prefer to defeat my opponent before they can use their full strength."

"Then I guess I'll just have to settle with just this!" Ichigo raised his hand over his head, brought is swiftly down, and his hollow mask materialized on his face. In less then the blink of any eye, Ichigo closed the gap between him and Isao. He swung his sword, but Isao managed to dodge Ichigo's attack. He threw his rifle on the ground and drew a pair of handguns. He took aim, but Ichigo was already taking another swing. Isao wasn't able to doge this attack completely, and the blade cut his chest. Blood flew from the wound, but it wasn't to serious, he could still fight. Realizing that his handguns wouldn't be much use, Isao threw them on the ground and drew one of his tiny pistols. He aimed and fired. Ichigo was able to dodge the shot, but he saw what it did to the giant bolder behind him. As it was obliterated, Ichigo said, with his raspy hollowfied voice, "I guess you weren't kidding when you said you killed five Vasto Lordes." Isao, however, didn't respond. He pointed the pistol at the ground and fired again. They both had to use a their speed to get away from the explosion that followed. A cloud of dirt and debris filled the air. When it cleared, Isao had disappeared.

Ichigo saw this as the perfect opportunity to use his bankai. He raised his sword in front of him, built up his spirit energy and shouted, "Bankai!" As a black aura surrounded Ichigo, Isao took aim from behind a boulder with his second rifle and fired right into the center of the dark mass.

When the bullet connected, Ichigo was thrown out of the dark energy, (his bankai had been stopped.) blood was shooting from a hole in his right shoulder. His mask was also starting to crack. He shook off the pain, and charged full speed at Isao. Isao dodged, and (being to close to actually shoot) smacked Ichigo on the side of the head with the but of his rifle, breaking off a large percent of Ichigo's mask in the process.

_I never thought fighting a Vizard be this tricky. _he thought. _It also seems like he's getting to serious. I better wrap this up before we end up destroying the whole training room. I guess I'll just have to use it. _

Isao shot the ground where Ichigo was standing, forcing him to leap into the air where he hovered, waiting for Isao's next move. "You know, Ichigo. Why don't you go a head and use you're bankai. I'll let you." Ichigo's only response was, "Bankai!" as a mass of dark energy surrounded Ichigo, Isao dropped his rifle, and brought his watch up to his face.

"Activate! Three thousand square yards! Initiate!"

Behind the steel door, something happened. Within the pitch black room, a green light slowly came to life, followed by a high pitch whirring noise. That noise kept building up and up to a single loud, short burst.

As soon as Ichigo bankai was complete, something strange happened. What was left of his Hollow mask suddenly shattered, his cloths faded back to normal, and his zanpakuto changed back into the over-sized katana it had been before he learned Zangetsu's name. And that wasn't all He then realized that all of his spirit energy had suddenly disappeared. With no spirit energy, he was unable to stay air born. "AHHHHH!" he screamed as he fell out of the sky and crashed face first into the ground.

Ichigo wasn't the only one affected by this strange phenomenon. Kisuke, Yoruichi, and Orihime were also striped of their spirit energy.

"What the hell?" Kisuke said. He tried to gather spirit energy in his hand, but despite his efforts nothing happened.

Ichigo pushed himself off of the ground, and looked at his Sword. _What the? _He thought. He raised his Zanpakuto, and shouted, "Zangetsu!" but nothing happened. Isao used this opportunity to his full advantage. It seemed as though he was unaffected by whatever had done this to the others, because he drew one of his remaining hand guns and fired. He knocked Ichigo's sword out of his hands, which flew several feet away. Ichigo was about to go after it, but before he could move, Isao used his speed to knock Ichigo to the ground. Once on his back, Isao pinned him down and pressed his gun to his temple.

"That's enough!" shouted Yoruichi as she ran towards the two. But without her spirit energy she couldn't use her famous Flash Step and was merely jogging.

Isao then turned his attention to Ichigo and said, in a smug voice, "I guess I win." He put his gun back in its' holster, got off of Ichigo, and helped him up. Once Ichigo was back on his feet, Isao raised his watch again and said, "Deactivate"

Behind the steel door, the green light went out, and the low rumbling noise stopped.

When that happened, everyone felt their spirit energy return. Orihime, felling that her powers was back rushed over to Ichigo and Isao, crouched down next to them and started to heal their wounds. Kisuke and Yoruichi stood out of the groups earshot and talked about that strange phenomenon.

"How did that happen?"

"I don't know, but I'll bet five Hougyokus that Isao was the one that did it."

As Orihime healed Ichigo, Isao said, "So, Orihime. What did you learn from this lesson?" He said this like a father to his daughter.

"When fighting, keep you're distance, and don't give you opponent the chance to use their full strength."

"Good girl." Isao said, patting her on the head.

"How did you do it?" Ichigo said breaking up this display of affection. Isao turned to him and said.

"Do what?"

"You know what. How did you get rid of all my spirit energy? How did you stop my bankai? And what did you do to my zanpakuto?"

"Sorry, but that's classified information."

"It's not nice to keep secrets?" Kisuke said in his serious tone as he loomed over Isao.

"I'm sorry, but Orihime is the only one here that I can trust with the Sniper's secrets." Orihime, having finished healing Ichigo, turned her attention to Isao.

"Souten Kishun, I reject." she said, and an oval dome of golden light appeared around Isao's torso. "You're injuries aren't that serious. This shouldn't take long"

"I admit, Orihime. That is a neat ability you have. But I hope that when you're training is complete you wont need the Shun Shun Rika anymore." Once his wounds were healed Isao stood up, brushed the dust off his clothes, and said, "Well, that is all for tonight. I'll show you three to the door. Orihime wait for me in the hallway. Theirs something I want to show you."

"Hey, anything you can show Orihime, you can show us. Right?" Ichigo said, waiting for Orihime's answer.

"You three better get going." She replied. And Kisuke, Yoruichi, and Ichigo left the training room with Isao. But before they did, the all gave Orihime a disappointed look.

Orihime waited for Isao in the hallway as instructed. He returned several minutes later wearing his every-day clothes. Orihime followed his down the hall where they stopped outside of the forbidden door.

"Orihime, my fellow Elite would strongly discourage me from showing you what's behind this door. But, I feel that I can trust you." He typed in a code on the lock, and turned the handle, but before he opened the door he said, in as serious a tone as possible. "Before I show you what's behind this door, I need you to swear to me that you will not breath a word of this to anyone. Not you're friends, not the Soul Society, not even Ichigo. If you tell anyone about this, you will no longer be welcome as my student. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Good." And he opened the door.

It was pitch black inside, but Orihime felt a strange sensation coming from within. They both stepped inside and Isao closed the door behind them. He then clapped his hands, and the lights came on. The only thing inside of the room was a short pedestal with an object resting on top of it. The item resembled an horn glass. Two pyramids were pointing towards each other, but where the points would have connected, instead they were crammed up against a base-ball sized sphere. The entire device was gunmetal in color except for a small glass lens on the sphere which was bright green. Isao lead Orihime towards it. As they got closer the sensation grew more intense. Soon, Orihime's skin was covered in goose bumps, her palms were sweating, and when they were less then a foot away her legs began to shack and she fell to her knees.

_This felling,_ she thought. _What ever this is, it's more powerful then the Hougyoku. _

"It takes a while, but you'll get used to that felling eventually." Isao said.

"What is this machine?" Orihime asked. She was still on her knees and her voice was weak.

"This, Orihime, is the Z.S.E.N.F.G.M." Orihime looked up at Isao.

"The what?" She asked.

"Z…S…E…N…F…G…M," he said slowly. "it's an abbreviation."

"What does it stand for."

"Zanpakuto and Spirit Energy Neutralizing Field Generating Machine. Need I say more?" Orihime nodded. Isao gave a small sigh.

"Basically, what it does is surrounds a programmed area with an invisible barrier. Any Zanpakuto that comes inside of this barrier instantly goes into a state of hibernation, and all spirit energy inside of the barrier is neutralized. Leaving even the strongest Soul Reaper, or Hollow, completely powerless."

"This is how you defeated Ichigo?"

"That is corrected. Though I could have ended the fight without it. I just wanted to wrap things up before we destroyed the training room."

"You cheated!"

"Here's and additional lesson, Orihime; theirs no such thing as cheating in a fight to the death."

"But you weren't fighting to the death."

"I don't know. Ichigo was getting pretty serious back their.

"I have on more question though. How come you were unaffected by it?" Isao tapped on his watch.

"This is not only the controls for the machine. it also generates a field that counters the effects of the Z.S.E.N.F.G.M." he then looked at his watch and said, "Look at the time! it's past midnight. Would you like to stay here for the night?" Orihime was quiet for a bit, and then said,

"Okay."

Isao lead Orihime out of the basement, upstairs, and into a room at the end of the hallway. Like the rest of the house, the furniture in this room was very decorative, and looked really expensive. But Orihime was to tired to notice. She merely got under the covers and fell asleep. She didn't even bother to take her clothes off.

The next morning, Orihime woke to find a clean dress neatly folded on the chair next to her bed. She took it with her into the bathroom, showered, and changed. She then went down stairs and saw that Isao had prepared her an omelet and beacon.

"You should eat fast. I have to take you by you're apartment so you can get you're school stuff before class." It was strange. Even though she had only known Isao for a short time, she felt a really deep connection with him. It was almost like she was with her brother again

After a quick stop at her apartment, Isao drove Orihime to school. When they got out of the car everyone in the area gasped. Later that day Tatsuki asked Orihime why Isao had driven her to school. When Orihime told her that she had spent the night at his house Tatsuki gave her a naughty look and walked away. "What?" Orihime called after her.

The news that Orihime had spent the night at Isao's house spread like a plague, and in no time at all nasty rumors started popping up. Chizuru Honshō started bawling after hearing the news and had to be sent home when she wouldn't stop. Keigo Asano, however, having found out ran up to Isao was said,

"Is it really true that you and Orihime really did it? I cant believe it! I had no idea she went for the son-of-a-millionaire type! You got to tell me you're secrets! You've got to show me you're moves…" he continued like this until Isao, having heard enough, put his hand on Keigo's mouth to shut him up. He then raised the index finger of his free hand to his to his lips and said, in a hushed tone, "Shh." and then walked away. Keigo wasn't expecting that, usually people would threaten him, or just hit him.

When the day ended, Isao gathered up his stuff, and was just about to leave, when he was stopped by a short petit girl with dark hair, and a red headed man with a wolf tail and tattoos.

"We need to talk." said the girl.

"Look, I'll you what I've told everyone else. I didn't have sex with Orihime. She slept in the guest room, and I slept I my room. Their was no physical contact of any kind."

"That's fine," said the man with tattoos, "but were not here to talk about you and Orihime."

"Then what?"

"Were from the Soul Society. You're coming with us for questioning."

TO BE CONTINUED!

**Looks like the plot is thickening. I would like to thank the three people who have reviewed my work, and that this chapter will add more to that number. **


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm sorry it took me so long. I accidentally saved over it, and then my computer got a virus and I kind of screwed it up even more trying to fix it. Well, here it is.**

CHAPTER 5

Isao's mind was racing. Someone must have turned him in last night. He had to do something, but he couldn't let the situation escalate to violence.

"Soul Society? What is that? Some kind of charity organization?"

"Don't play dumb," said the red haired man.

"Look, I have no idea what you're talking about, but if you're trying to get my money you're going to have to rethink you're strategy." Isao tried to leave but was stopped by the two Soul Reapers. They seemed to be using the good cop bad cop routine, because when the girl spook she was much more affectionate.

"Look, we know that you have been training our friend Orihime for weeks now, and we know you dueled against Ichigo last night and beat him. You don't have to hide from us."

Isao sighed with frustration.

"Okay, you got me. What do you want?"

"We want you to come to the Soul Society with us, the captains want to talk to you."

"Do you have a Soul Pager?" Isao asked, "I would like to talk to the head captain."

Rukia wasn't expecting this. She was ready for battle, but this guy was much more civilized then she thought he would be.

"Okay, I'll call him." She pulled out her Soul Pager, dialed a number, and after a few moments of waiting said, "Head captain sir. This is Rukia Kuchiki of squad thirteen. Lieutenant Abarai and I have located the unknown figure we were sent here to apprehend. No, we haven't fought him, but he would like to talk to you." And she handed the pager to Isao.

"Hello, is this the head captain?" Isao asked

"That is correct." Replied an old voice.

"My name is Isao Tanaka. Now, you probably have a lot of questions for me. Allow me to answer some," And he told captain Yamamoto everything he could.

"I see. Well, ,with all due respect, I must ask you to disband you're

organization."

"I cannot do that sir, I am only one member of the Elite. You'll have to talk to the other members first. Perhaps we can schedule a meeting. Say, The Tanaka building, world of the living, ten PM, one week from now?"

"Very well. The other captains and I will meet you and you're fellow Elite their."

"Thank you captain, good-bye." and he hung up. "The head captain and I organized a meeting in a week."

"In that case you may go." Said the girl, and they stepped aside and let Isao pass.

Orihime was at home, changing out of her school uniform when she heard her phone ring.

"Hello."

"Orihime, Its Isao. Someone turned me in last night."

"What?"

"Two Soul Reapers came up to me after school. They wanted me to go to the Soul Society for questioning, but I managed to schedule a meeting between the captains and the rest of the Elite."

"These Soul Reapers, what did they look like?"

"One was a small dark-haired girl, the other was a man with red hair and tattoos."

"That's Rukia and Renji, their friends of mine."

"I see. Well, Orihime, I'm afraid tonights lesson will be canceled, do to the sudden change in events, I have to spend the night contacting the rest of The Elite."

"Isao, would it be okay if I come to the meeting with you?"

"Of corse."

"Thank you, good-bye." And she hung up. She then dialed the number for Mr. Urahara's shop. The phone rang a couple times until someone answered.

"Hello Orihime."

"Mr. Urahara, I need to talk to you."

"I know what you're going to ask me, and yes, I was the one who turned Isao in last night."

"Why did you do that?"

"You saw how he defeated Ichigo. Besides, you said it you're self. If the rest of the Elite is like Isao then the Soul Society is in danger."

"But the Snipers aren't interested in destroying the Soul Society. They just want to be left alone."

"Lets not argue the matter." Said Yoruichi. Mr. Urahara must have had his phone on speaker.

"Orihime, We know Isao showed you how he caused that strange phenomenon last night, and unless you want to be considered a traitor again you'll tell us what it was."

There was a pause, and then Orihime hung up.

The day of the meeting arrived and Orihime found herself in the shotgun seat of Isao's car, pulling up to the huge skyscraper that was the Tanaka Building. The sun had already set, and the parking lot was practically empty. They both got out of the car and went inside. They passed the reception desk and stepped into an elevator. As they rose up to the top floor, Orihime said, quite abruptly, "Isao, thank you. I'm stronger then I've ever been, and it's all thanks to you. I'm..." She cut off her sentence when Isao looked down at her and gave an amused smile. Her face turned bright red and she looked down at the floor.

With a "Ding." The elevator door opened onto a long corridor. Isao lead her down to the very end of the hallway, where they stopped outside of a set of doors. To either side of these doors was a box filled with individually wrapped earpieces. Above them was a sign with what looked like a set of instructions written in different languages; Japanese, English, Spanish, and Chinese. Orihime looked at the Japanese instructions and read,

Remove from wrapping

Say which language you want to be translated to (speak clearly)

Place one in each ear.

Orihime couldn't tell what the other languages said, but she had a feeling they all said the same thing. She watched Isao remove a pair from their wrapping and said, "Japanese" the earpieces beeped and he put them on. When he was done Orihime did the same. Once they both had their earpieces in, they stepped into the room.

The room they had entered had a long narrow table in the center and windows at the end. The people inside were dressed very strangely. A man wearing what looked like a checkered skirt approached the two. He had hairy, muscular legs and a thick red mustache.

"Hello, Isao. Who is you're friend?" It was so strange, even though Orihime could understand this man, his lips weren't moving according to what he was saying. It was like watching a dubbed movie.

"This is Orihime, my new apprentice. Orihime, This is Francis, He's from Ireland."

Francis then gave Orihime a very furry kiss on the back of her hand.

Isao then introduced her to the other members of the Elite. After Francis, she met a girl from England named Rachel. Rachel looked like she could have been Orihime's sister or something. They looked practically identical, they were the same hight, even their boobs were the same size. The only differences was their hair and eyes. Rachel's hair was blond and curly and she had it cut short. Rachel's eyes were smaller then Orihime's and they were a shade of light blue.

After Rachel, Isao introduced her to four Americans. The first was Frank. Frank was a giant, no question. He was easily the largest person in the room. He looked like one of those professional body builders you see in posters at gyms. He was so big he could have held Orihime's entire head in his hand like an apple.

"Why hello, Isao. It is good to see you again. And who is you're lovely friend?" When Frank spoke, all the feeling of Intimidation Orihime felt disappeared. His voice was soft and gentle.

Orihime then met a man named Melvin. He was a lot shorter and leaner then Frank. He had long dark hair, and Orihime couldn't help but notice that he was incredibly handsome.

"Isao, you idiot! I had to drop everything and fly here all the way from Phenix, all because you blew our cover. You're a disgrace." Melvin's voice was cold and dark and scared Orihime. Isao, however, having been insulted merely said, "It's nice to see you to." As if this were normal.

Next, was Richard. Richard was clearly the oldest member of the Elite, and reminded Orihime of captain Yamamoto. He barely had any hair, and what he did have was grey. He had a thick white beard and his eyes were white with cataracts. He didn't speak, he simply bowed to the two of them.

The final American was a woman. She had long dark hair, her ears, lip, eyebrows, and nose had piercings, and her arms were covered in various tattoos. "Hello, Martha." Isao said. Martha merely grunted in response.

The next member of the Elite was a girl from china named Da-Xia. She was very short and petit, and she was cradling a baby in her arms.

Finally, she met a mexican named Jose. Jose looked a lot like Chad. He had dark skin and hair that grew over his eyes. He greeted the two with a very strong hand shake.

"I never thought the Elite would be so, umm." She paused trying to find the right word.

"Culturally diverse?"

"That works."

"You know, this is the first time in five years that all of the Elite have gathered in one place." Orihime was about to respond, but at that moment the doors opened and the Soul Reaper captains stepped inside, each one wearing a set of those earpieces.

"Welcome, Soul Reaper captains. I am Isao Tanaka."

"You're the one who threw Lady Yoruichi in the trash?" Asked captain Soi Fon

"Yes, that was me." Captain Soi Fon glared at Isao with pure anger and hate.

"Please have a seat." Everyone sat down in the chair closest to them and the meeting began. Isao was the first to speak.

"First off, I would just like to say it's an honor to meet all of you."

Isao, Don't waste our time with flattering!" Melvin called out from across the table.

"Be quiet, Melvin." Captain Yamamoto choose that moment to speak.

"How long has you're organization existed?"

"About fifty years."

"I'm impressed that you were able to hide from the Soul Society for so long. Now, with all due respect, I'm asking you to disband you're organization."

"We don't take orders from you, old man." Melvin said in the rudest manor possible.

"You will do as the head captain says!" called out captain Soi Fon.

"We don't take orders from you either, lady." In an instant, captain Soi Fon leaped from her chair, ran towards Melvin, and held her sword to his throat. She was about to finish the job when she felt something pressing against her chest. She glanced down and saw that Melvin had a small gun pressed against her ribcage.

"Stalemate." Said Melvin

"That's enough, both of you!" Captain Yamamoto said. They both lowered their weapons and captain Soi Fon returned to her seat.

"You Snipers are fascinating. If you agree to become my test subjects, I might pull some strings allowing you Snipers to exist as slaves to the soul Society." Captain Kurotsuchi said rubbing his hands together in excitement.

"I have to admit," Martha said, putting her feet up on the table. "You captains aren't making a very good first impression."

"We didn't come here to be friends. We came here to end you organization." said captain Komamura.

"And, why do you wish to end our organization?" Melvin asked.

"We are Soul Reapers. It is our job to protect the cycle of transmigration, and the souls of the World Of The Living, which you Snipers are threatening." Replied captain Yamamoto.

"So you're saying that killing Hollows and protecting the souls of this world is the Soul Society's reserved right?"

"That is correct. We must maintain the balance."

"Well, has it ever occurred to you that the balance in power has begun to shift?"

"What do you mean?" Asked captain Hitsugaya. Melvin gave a nasty smile.

"All I'm saying is that everything hits it's peak and declines, and Soul Reapers are no exception. Don't think of us as you're enemies, but as you're replacements."

"Please, forgive my coworker." Isao said apologetically. "He's what you might call a maverick."

"I'll ask you again. Please disband you're organization or face the consequences." Said the head captain.

"You mean war?" Said Francis.

"We Snipers are a proud people."Said Da-Xia, speaking for the first time. Everyone turned their attention to her.

"I know what the Soul Society has done over the centuries, and I am appalled. I have no intention of being oppressed by you Soul Reapers. I would prefer to make peace, but if you want to start a war, so be it. Just remember, you brought this on you're selves." When she finished speaking she tightened her grip on the baby.

"Very well." Captain Yamamoto stood up. "I will not declare war yet, however, I will give you one month to come to a decision. If you choose to surrender and terminate the Sniper organization no blood shall be spilt. If you choose to fight then you all will be eliminated." At that, captain Yamamoto opened a senkaimon and he and his fellow captains walked through it back to the Soul Society.

The ride to Orihime's apartment was an unpleasant one. Neither Orihime nor Isao spoke the whole way. Orihime was glad when They pulled up to her apartment. She got out and was about to go in when Isao said, "Orihime, I want to talk to you. May I come in?"

Once inside Orihime's apartment, Isao knelt down at her table and Orihime brought him a drink. He took a sip and said," I'm not going to lie to you, Orihime. The Snipers and the Soul Society will go to war. Blood will be spilt on both sides, and chances are that one of the two fractions will be wiped out."

His words reminded Orihime of the time Mr. Urahara asked her not to fight in the war with Aizen, and Orihime had a feeling that Isao was going to ask her to do the same thing."

"You don't want me to participate in this war? I understand. I'm to hesitant to fight and to kill. You don't have to say any more."

"Quite the opposite, I want you on the front line." Orihime looked at Isao surprised.

"However, you do bring up a good point. You don't really have the will to kill, and in a war that can be a problem, but I think that I can teach you..." He stopped as though he said something he shouldn't have.

"Teach me what?" Orihime asked, already knowing the answer.

"Orihime, You don't have to continue you're training. You could stop right here and stay a 'B' class. I won't think any less of you." Isao said this like he was encouraging her to quit her training

"Why are you acting like this?"

"Because I don't know if you will be able to endure the training. Up to this point I had only been teaching you standard self-defense. If you go on, I'll be putting you through bootcamp and you don't seem like the type of person who could survive something like that." Isao got up and made his way to the door. Once there he turned around and said, "I'll leave it up to you. If you choose to continue you're training then meet me at my house tomorrow night. If you choose not to participate in this war, then consider you're training complete." And he left.

Orihime sat in her bath, wondering what to do. Ichigo and the others would expect her to help the Soul Society. But if she did that then she would be betraying Isao, and he was her friend too. No matter which side she chose she would be considered a traitor. She tried to think of a way out of this, but she succeeded only in giving herself a headache. She got out of the tub, dried herself off, took an Aspirin and went to bed.

"The Soul Society started a war?" It was lunch. Ichigo and the others were on the roof as usual, and Rukia had finished telling them about the meeting.

"I didn't say that, Ichigo. Captain Ukitake said that the head captain gave the Snipers a month to come to a decision; ending their organization, or start a war" said Rukia.

"Well, we should start training in case these Snipers decide to fight."

"Actually, Ichigo," Uryu said adjusting his glasses. "I wont be participating in this battle."

"What? Why?"

" One, because these Snipers remind me of the Quincies. Two, I am still under contract not to get involved with Soul Reapers or the Soul Society. And three, because Isao beat you. You, the man who defeated Aizen. I don't want to get anywhere near him."

"I told you, he cheated!"

"Regardless, he won, you lost." Ichigo glared at Uryu and then turned to Chad.

"How about you Chad? Are you in or out?"

"Actually, Ichigo, I have to agree with Uryu." Ichigo sighed with frustration.

"Hello everyone." They all turned around to see Orihime standing behind them.

"Orihime, I'm glad to see you." Rukia said, walking up to her.

"The captains know that Isao has been training you. They want you to tell them everything Isao taught and showed you." Orihime looked like Rukia had greatly offended her.

"You want me to turn him in."

"You could say that."

"Forget it!"

"I'm sorry Orihime, but my orders were to get that Information from you. So, my request is now an order."

"I refuse. Isao's my friend, and I won't stab him in the back like that."

"But, Orihime, we're you're friends." Said Ichigo

"Is their a problem here?" Isao had just arrived.

"This doesn't concern you Sniper." Said Rukia

"It does If it involves Orihime." and he drew a spirit gun from his pocket and aimed it at Rukia.

"You brought a gun to school?" Uryu called out.

"I'm always prepared."

Orihime then went to Isao's side.

"I've made up my mind, I want to continue the training."

"Good." Isao said, putting his gun away. They both turned around, about to leave when Orihime ran back towards Ichigo.

"Goodbye, Ichigo." Then, much to Ichigo's surprise, Orihime kissed him. When they separated, Orihime ran back to Isao's side and said to the whole group, "The next time you see me, it will be on the battle field" and they both left.

Orihime and Isao didn't show up for next period, and weren't seen for the rest of the day. After school, Ichigo and Rukia went over to Mr. Urahara's shop and told him and Renji everything that had happened on the roof.

"So, Orihime joined the Snipers. Why am I not surprised?" Kisuke said in his serious tone.

"We've got to do something, we've got to save her."

"Ichigo, She's not a prisoner. She chose to go with Isao." Rukia said bitterly.

"Then it's official," said Renji. "as of right now, Orihime Inoue is our enemy.

**TO BE CONTINUED. **

**Well, I hope you liked my new chapter, and the Elite. I wanted them to be as culturally diverse as possible. Like I said in chapter 1 the Snipers are supposed to represent the modern world. Well, thank-you for reading and please review. **

**P.S. If any of you know what happened to the author JOY BLUE please tell me because I'm under the impression that he / she is dead.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry it took me so long to put this up. School has been brutal. But now that i'm on break I should be able to write more, at least until I start my summer school program. I was disappointed that nobody reviewed my last chapter. If you people didn't like it, you should at least tell me why. I would welcome criticism. But enough of my rambling.**

The Sniper, Chapter 6

It had been two weeks, and Orihime and Isao had all but vanished off the face of the earth. Ichigo hadn't seen either one since Orihime had kissed him and ran off with Isao. One day, after school, he went down to her apartment to try and sort things out. He knocked on her door, but no body answered.

"Orihime, are you their?" He called out.

"She's not home, Ichigo." Ichigo looked over his shoulder and saw Tatsuki still dressed in her school uniform and her bag over her shoulder.

"Oh, hey, Tatsuki. Do you know when Orihime will be back."

"She's not coming back Ichigo. She moved out." Tatsuki said this with a hint of disapproval in her voice.

"What? Where did she go?"

"She said she was moving in with Isao."

"What?"

"I know. I think their relationship is going to fast, too." Then she turned and left.

"Ichigo, whats wrong?" Kon asked. It was past 8, and Ichigo was staring up at the ceiling with a look of anger on his face. He felt so powerless. This whole situation reminded him of when Aizen kidnapped Orihime. But this time she chose to go, so it wasn't as though he could go and save her. He was so lost in thought that he didn't even hear a tapping on his window. When he didn't respond the tapping got louder, but he still didn't hear it.

"Open the dam window! It's cold out here!" Ichigo looked out his window to see all six of the Shun Shun Rikka hovering outside. He opened the window and they all came in. Ichigo the noticed that Ayame and Shun'ō were each holding a metal rod which he then realized were Orihime's hair pins.

"What happened? Did something happen to Orihime?" They all looked down when he said that. Ayame looked close to tears. "What happened?" He asked again.

"I'll tell you what happened!" Tsubaki said, sounding a lot angrier the usual "Orihime abandoned us! Threw us away!" Ichigo wanted to respond but he had no idea what to say

"Let me explain." Shun'ō said, putting her hairpin down and hovered up to eye level with Ichigo.

"Ever since Orihime started this new intense training with Isao, she's changed."

"What do you mean?"

"Isao has been very hard on her lately. He barely lets her sleep, he forces her to train from dawn to almost midnight, and he keeps forcing her into these life or death situations." She paused to catch her breath. She then said, "Orihime has practically become a new person. Then, just an hour or so ago, Orihime walked out of the house to the garbage can, took off her hair pins, and said to us, 'You're all nothing but trouble' and, and." Shun'ō then burst into tears, Ayame hovered up to comfort her companion.

"We came here because we had nowhere else to go," Said Ayame, looking up at Ichigo. "and to ask you for you're help. If anyone can get Orihime back to normal, it's you."

"Why me?" Ichigo asked. Tsubaki flew up till he was eye level with Ichigo.

"You are such an idiot. She's in love with you."

Ichigo stared at the little fairy with an uncertain look.

"What?"

"I said she's in love with you. Has been for a long time. In fact, the night before she was kidnapped, she came here to say goodbye, and tried to kiss you."

"Did she?"

"No, she chickened out at the last second and left." When Ichigo didn't respond, Shun'ō asked, her eyes still watering

"Anyway, Ichigo, would it be okay with you if we stayed here for a while?" Her request snapped Ichigo out of his trance. He looked down and said, "Sure." Lily flew up and hugged Ichigo. "Thank you. You won't even know were here." At that, all six of the Shun Shun Rikka returned to Orihime's hair pins. Ichigo then grabbed Kon, reached down his throat, pulled out his pill form and swallowed it. Once he turned into a Soul Reaper he picked up Orihime's hair pins, tucked them in his kimono and leaped out the window.

"Hey, where are you going?" Kon shouted as Ichigo took off into the night.

After a few minutes, Ichigo arrived outside of Isao's house. Noticing that the lights on the second story were on, Ichigo rang the door bell. A few moments later a woman opened the door. She was wearing a pink kimono and had her hair in a tight bundle. Ichigo assumed that this was Isao's mother.

"Can I help you, Soul Reaper?"

"My name is Ichigo Kurosaki, I'm here to speak to you're son about his student, Orihime." She looked at him for a moment, "Come in." and she stepped aside so he could enter. "Isao and his student are down in the training room."

"Thank you." Ichigo said. A few moments later, Ichigo was in the white underground hallway outside of the training room door. He took a deep breath and opened the door. The sight that greeted him was Orihime and Isao engaged in a sparring match, though it reminded Ichigo of laser tag. Isao and Orihime were both darting around the room, crouching behind boulders and firing at their adversary.

"Orihime," Isao said, lowering his weapon. "We have a guest." Orihime got up from behind a boulder, and walked towards Ichigo. Ichigo couldn't help but gape at Orihime's attire. She was wearing a black, skin tight jump suit that didn't leave much to the imagination. Also, much to Ichigo's surprise, Orihime's hair had been cut. Her usual waist length hair and been trimmed to about her neck.

"What are you doing here? Come for another kiss." Her voice was serious, and cold. Not at all like how she normally sounded. Remembering why he came here Ichigo said,

"Orihime, please come back."

"Just like that?" Ichigo was about to respond when someone behind him said, "I would do as Ichigo asks, Orihime." Ichigo turned around to see Rukia in her Soul Reaper form.

"Rukia, what are you..."

"I live in you're closet, Ichigo. I heard everything and followed you here."

"I demand that you leave at once, Soul Reaper. You're trespassing on private property." Said Isao, his grip on his gun tightening.

"We'll leave when Orihime leaves with us."

"I'm not going anywhere. You think I'm a prisoner, but I'm not. I chose to come here." Orihime said walking towards Rukia, her voice was harsh and demanding respect.

"But, Orihime. We're you're friends." Rukia said in a pleading tone.

"Sorry, but I have new friends now. I owe Isao everything. I'm stronger then ever, and it's all thanks to him."

"Orihime, don't do this. Think of everything we've done for you, everything we went through to save you."

Orihime paused for a moment, and then said, "Okay, Rukia. If you can defeat me in a match, I'll leave the Snipers and go back with you. But if I win, you must leave, and never bother me, or Isao again." Ichigo couldn't believe what he was hearing, Orihime was challenging Rukia. Ichigo was about to say something but Rukia said, "You're on." Though Ichigo could tell that she didn't really want to do this.

The two girls stepped into the middle of the training ground and Ichigo and Isao stood next to a boulder several feet away. Ichigo saw this as the perfect opportunity to talk to Isao.

"What the hell did you do to Orihime?"

"Nothing she didn't agree to." Isao said. "You seem to be under the impression that I'm forcing Orihime to do this, but I assure you, this is her choice." Ichigo was about to respond, but the match started. Rukia drew her sword, but Orihime used Flash Step 2.0 to get out of range. She then fired a round of spirit bullets at Rukia, who was able to block all but one that struck her leg. Orihime then drew a shot gun strapped to her back and fired again. Rukia dodged them and shouted, "Hadō 33, Sō..." but before Rukia could finish reciting the incantation Orihime unleashed another barrage of shots, forcing Rukia to abort to block them. _Damn it. When did Orihime get so good?_ Rukia thought. _Guess I'll have to use this_. She drew her Zanpakuto. "Dance, Sode..."

"No you don't!" Orihime shouted as she fired another barrage and once again Rukia had to abort what she was doing to dodge it. _I'll never be able to use any of my attacks with Orihime stopping me like that_. _I have to find a way so I can use my Shikai without her stopping me_. She then turned and used Flashstep to run away, Orihime following right behind her. As Rukia ran she once again tried to use her Shikai.

"Dance, Sode no..." Orihime fired again but Rukia used Flashstep and dodged the shot. "Shirayuki." She completed her Shikai, and landed on a boulder. "Tsugi no mai..." She said, but before she could even pierce the ground in front of her, Orihime threw several white balls on the ground. There was a blinding flash of light and rukia had to cover her eyes, stopping her attack. When the light cleared Orihime had vanished. "Come out and fight!" Rukia called out. At that moment Orihime appeared out of no where and threw a handful of dirt in Rukia's face. An while Rukia recoiled in her blinded state, Orihime knocked her to the ground, kicked her sword out of her hand and held a pistol to Rukia's forehead.

"I win." She said, and stepped off of Rukia who got up and rubbed the dirt out of her eyes.

"That was a dirty trick you pulled." Rukia said, her eyes were still red and watering.

"All's fair in a fight, Rukia." Orihime said. "Now, if you and Ichigo would be so kind as to leave, my master and I have training to finish." And with one last look of sadness, Ichigo and Rukia left.

"You did well, Orihime. I'm impressed." Isao said.

"Thank you master."

"As a reward, I'm going to raise you're rank. As of now, you're an 'A' class."

"Thank you master." Orihime replied with a bow.

"Come with me." Isao said, walking out of the training room. Orihime followed him to the "weaponry" door. Isao typed a combination on the lock and opened the door. They both stepped inside and the lights came on. Shelves filled with spirit guns of all kinds filled the room. The room was so packed with guns that Orihime couldn't even have guessed how many there were.

"Now that you're an 'A' class, it's time I taught more then just hand to hand combat." He lead Orihime down the hall, completely ignoring the shelves of guns. They walked for about five minutes when they arrived on a balcony over looking a massive hangar that stretched as far as Orihime could see. When Orihime saw what was inside, she felt her heart skip several beats. "Now, I'll be teaching you how to use these." Isao said, pointing to the contents of the hangar.

"If we are going into battle with these," said Orihime. "then the Soul Society won't stand a chance."

Two weeks passed, and the captains were in the middle of a meeting to discuss the Sniper situation.

"The day has arrived," said captain Yamamoto. "and the ones who call them selves, 'The Elite' have given us their answer. They have chosen to fight. In fact, they seem to have chosen the battle field as well. Our intelligence has detected a large number of humans with high spiritual pressure in sector 19-56."

"That's in the middle of nowhere." Said Captain Kyōraku.

"Well it's obvious that they don't want innocent bystanders to get caught up in our war." Captain Ukitake replied to his friend. Captain Soifon then spoke out.

"Head captain, with you're permission, I would like to eliminate these Snipers my self,."

"Like I'm going to let you have all the fun." Called out captain Zaraki.

"Have both you're squads prepare for battle. You will both meet with the substitute Soul Reaper, Ichigo Kurosaki. He will provide you with any information he can on these Snipers." And he slammed his cane on the ground, ending the meeting. On the way out Kyōraku and Ukitake were engaged in conversation.

"Do you really think these Snipers need to be destroyed? I mean, they cant possibly be all that dangerous."

"I agree with you," Said captain Kyōraku. "But after Aizen, we cant take any chances."

_They should be here soon._ Ichigo thought. He was standing on top of a hill overlooking an army of about a hundred Snipers. He was just wondering how much longer he would have to wait, when a set of sliding doors appeared out of nowhere. They opened and out stepped captain Zaraki and captain Soifon, along with the rest of their squads.

"Tell us what you can about these Snipers." Soifon demanded. Everyone gathered around Ichigo as he told them everything he could about the Snipers.

"I think they have some sort of weapon that shuts down our Spiritual pressure and Zanpakuto."

"Sounds like fighting these guys will be interesting." Ikkaku said with a nasty smile.

"Just remember, Ichigo Kurosaki, Isao is mine." Soifon said to him.

"Okay." Ichigo said, slightly intimidated.

"Stand by for attack." Zaraki said to his men. Soifon's men did the same. Everyone lined up shoulder to shoulder, facing the Snipers. On the Sniper's side, Isao was watching enemy through a pair of binoculars.

"Only two squads. I was expecting more." He said to himself. He then picked up a walky-talky, and said, "Prepare to deactivate the cloaking device, and prep the Z.S.E.N.F.G.M."

"Yes, sir." responded the person on the other line.

"Orihime, how are you holding up in their?"

"I'll be fine." Drive this thing cant be any harder then driving a car."

"Oh, I assure you it is much harder, and you haven't mastered it yet. But it's to late to worry about that." While he was speaking, the Soul Reapers began to charge.

In the Soul Society, Captain Kurotsuchi was watching a monitor that displayed what was happening at the battle sight. The blue dots represented the Soul Reapers, and the red ones on the other side were the Snipers. As he could see the Soul reapers out numbered the Snipers fifteen to one. "I do hope those barbarians don't kill all of them. I would very much like to get a live specimen." As he said this, more blue dots suddenly appeared out of nowhere. "What!" He shouted.

Back on the battle field, as the Soul reapers charged at their enemy, then something started to happen. Something started to appear from out of nowhere It was like looking at something far away on a very hot day. The image was wavy and unfocused, but then it started to clear, and when it did, Ichigo's heart stopped. Not only were there hundreds more soldiers, but there were huge tanks with barrels bigger then him, and Massive battle suits armed with oversized machine guns. It was like something out of a science fiction movie.

"This should be very fun!" captain Zaraki yelled, as he drew his sword. Everyone else released their Zanpakuto

"Extend, Hōzukimaru." Ikkaku shouted.

"Bloom for me, Fuji Kujaku." Yumichika cried out.

"Crush, Gegetsuburi" Lieutenant Ōmaeda yelled.

"Sting all enemies to death, Suzumebachi. Captain Soifon shouted, After which she cried, "Shunkō." her haori blew apart, and a massive white aura surrounded her. As all this was happening, Ichigo had entered his Bankai. He felt very confident, but then he remembered his fight with Isao.

Back on the Sniper's front lines, Isao spoke into his walky-talky. "Activate the Z.S.E.N.F.G.M, all units prepare to fire on my command."

"Yes, Sir." Replied the man on the other line.

"I really wish we didn't have to do this." He said to himself as he watched the Soul reaper's through his binoculars.

Seconds later, Ichigo's fears were realized. His Bankai stopped, and his Zanpakuto returned to it's oversized katana form. And it wasn't just him, everyones Zanpakuto's returned to normal, and all of their spiritual pressure completely disappeared.

"What the!" Ikkaku shouted.

"We have to get out of here now!" Ichigo yelled to the others. Captain Soifon was about to respond when a giant ball of blue light shout through the air, landing several feet behind her and exploded. She, Ichigo, and several other were thrown through the air as several more shots were fired from the Sniper's tanks.

"Get out of range!" Soifon shouted as she scrambled to get up clutching a broken right arm. Everyone was in complete panic to get away, only Zaraki, Ikkaku, and Yumichika continued their assault. Ichigo hated the idea of retreating, but what choice did he have.

As the Soul Reapers retreated, the Sniper's tanks continued to fire, and Ichigo could do nothing as he watched Soul reaper after Soul reaper get slaughtered by the tank fire.

"Master Isao." Most of the Soul Reapers are retreating. However, captain Zaraki and two others are continuing their assault. What are you're orders?" Isao thought for a moment, then said over the walky-talky

"Have the tanks hold their fire, also, have the ground troops capture those three." They may prove to be useful leverage."

"This is going to be really fun!" Zaraki shouted with pure joy. True he didn't have and of his massive spirit energy, but this handicap would make things more interesting. Ikkaku was just as exited as was Yumichika. when they got within a hundred feet the Snipers fired. The trio managed to dodge the shots, and once they were in striking distance, they struck Snipers down left and right. Then, the battle suits moved it.

"Thats more like it!" Ikkaku shouted, clearly having the time of his life. He slashed the giant suit, but succeeded only in breaking his sword. The person inside the suit took advantage of the moment and grabbed Ikkaku. The suit was large enough to hold him in one hand like a doll. Yumichika rushed to his friend's aid but was quickly captured himself.

"You two are pathetic." Zaraki called out. He then leaped onto the front of the battle suit and ran his sword through the glass screen. Once the driver was impaled, the suit lost it's grip on Ikkaku and Yumichika. The three prepared for another attack but before they could do anything else the ground troops shot a barrage of tranquilizers, and the three were on the ground in seconds.

"It would seem that I greatly underestimated these Snipers. Captain Yamamoto said having heard captain Soifon's battle report. "It seems that we have no choice, we will have to declare all out war."

"With all do respect head captain," Soifon said, her right arm healed by Squad four. "when we went up against Aizen and the Espada, even though they over powered us, it was still a fair fight, but this time we're going up against heavily armored war machines with swords. Not to mention their ability to shut down our Zanpakuto and spirit energy.

"Never the less, we must fight to protect the Soul Society, and..." but before captain Yamamoto could finish the door burst open and Rukia Kuchiki burst into the room.

"This is a meeting for captains only!" he called out.

"I realize that sir, and I will gladly take any punishment afterwards, but I have something urgent to report. The Sniper Elite have contacted us, I have them on hold right now."

"I'm assuming that they want a ransom for captain Zaraki and his subordinates."

"No sir, they say they have every intention of releasing captain Zaraki and the others, but their requesting permission to come here."

**To Be Continued **

**What could the Elite be planing. I know it seems like the Snipers beat the Soul Reapers to easily, but lets face it, when you're going up against tanks with swords, no matter how skilled you are, you're gonna loose...badly. I also had to make the Snipers just as threatening if not more so then Aizen, or it wouldn't be as much fun to read. Never the less, I will take any complaints you might have. I apologize for any typos. Also, since I don't want to dedicate entire chapters to telling their back stories, I decided to tell you about the Elite members at the end of each chapter over a corse of three chapters.**

**Isao: Isao is one of the youngest and most talented of the Elite. He holds the record for killing the most Vasto Lordes, giving him quite a reputation among his fellow Elite, as well as leverage. Because of his father's company, Isao has round the clock access to the best weapons and technology the Snipers have to offer. **

**Melvin: Melvin and his sister, Martha, are the only sibling members of the Elite. They are also the lest noble of the nine. instead of using their powers to protect people and souls, they use their abilities to win at gambling. Despite his handsome appearance, Melvin is a rather unpleasant person to be around, mostly do to a bad childhood and abusive parents. **

**Martha: Martha is Melvin's Twin Sister, and like Melvin shared the same experiences growing up. She is a very quiet person, and has a punk attitude. Like her brother, she uses her talents to win at gambling, and has recently quit smoking. **


	7. Chapter 8

**The Sniper Chapter 7**

"Why would the Snipers willingly release their hostages? And why would they ask permission to come here?" Captain Soifon asked. "They have the power and technology to come to the Soul Society on their own, why not just launch an invasion?"

"They say that they don't want this conflict to escalate into a full-blown war." Rukia said. "They are requesting permission to come here so we can negotiate a truce between."

"A peace talk?" Captain Kyōraku said intrigued. "We've never had one of those before." The head captain, however, wasn't nearly as interested in the idea of a negotiation with the enemy, but reluctantly he said, "We will hear what they have to say."

In an underground room beneath Isao Tanaka's house, Isoa and the other members of the Elite stared at a large computer screen, waiting for the Soul Society to reply.

"Are we really sure this is the best idea?" Melvin asked his fellow Elite. "I mean, we've defeated two of their best squads, and captured a captain and two seated officers. We're on a roll, why are we giving up all that momentum by calling for a ceasefire?" Melvin's sister, Martha grunted in approval of her brother's suggestion.

"Because, Mel," Isao said sternly. "Were trying to prevent a war, not encourage one. Right now, the Soul Reapers are the aggressors, and were just defending ourselves. If we were to go on the offensive, it would only justify The Soul Society's decision to strike first."

"Spoken like a true leader." Isao looked at the computer screen, and saw that the Soul Society captains had arrived.

"Hello again, head captain."

"You may dispense with the formalities, Tanaka, the Soul Society has no interest in negotiating."

"Why are you so unwilling to negotiate?" Isao said, frustrated by the head captains being so closed-minded. It seemed as though Soul Reapers didn't understand anything other then the sword. That's when Isao was hit by a flash of genius. "If you wont listen to reason, then perhaps a challenge." The captain were intrigued by this sudden proposal.

"A challenge?" The head captain asked.

"Yes. You captains and us Elite are roughly equal in numbers and power, so why don't we settle this between us."

"What are you babbling about Isao?" Melvin said annoyed.

"I'm talking about a tournament. Sniper Elite. VS the Soul Reaper Captains." This got everyones attention, even the captains. Isao looked back at the screen. "If we win, then you captains will agree to a truce."

"And if we are the ones victorious in this tournament, then you Snipers must permanently disband your organization." The head captain said.

"Lets vote on it." Melvin said. "All in favor of this tournament idea, raise your hand." Isao watched as everyone except Martha and himself raise their hand.

"Then it is decided." Captain Yamamoto said. The rest of the meeting was spent discussing the rules of the tournament and when and where it would be held.

The next day, Rukia returned to the world of the living to tell Ichigo and the others the news.

"A tournament?" Kisuke said, scratching his chin, intrigued.

"It's scheduled to take place in the Soul Society a week from now."

"What are the rules of this contest?" Uryu asked.

"I haven't been briefed on the full details, but I've heard that the Snipers won't be allowed to use any of their tanks or war machines, but the captains won't be allowed to use their bankai either." That made sense to Ichigo, it wouldn't be fair for the Snipers to fight with a handicap while the Captains could fight at full power.

"Orihime will be there to, Ichigo." Rukia added, solemnly. "Ichigo looked at her, and said,

"I'm coming to the tournament." Rukia knew She could't convince Ichigo otherwise, so she didn't bother to try. She just nodded in acceptance.

"You know you won't be allowed to participate. Right?"

In a small square room in the Sniper headquarters, Ikkaku, Yumichika, and captain Zaraki were in chains.

"This is humiliating." Ikkaku grumbled. "It's bad enough that we were defeated so easily,

Why didn't they just kill us on the battlefield, instead of locking us up like animals?"

Yumichika sighed with frustration. "Because Ikkaku, they most likely want to use us as leverage."

"Like the Soul Society would life a finger for us." Captain Zaraki said. Then they heard the locks rattle, and the door opened.

"Good news." Isao said as he stepped into the small cell, holding the Zanpakuto's of the captured Soulreapers. "Your all getting out."

"What are you talking about?" Yumichika said annoyed.

"We've spoken with the captains, and they have agreed to face us in tournament, but we can't have a fair fight if the numbers are uneven." Zaraki grinned.

"I like the sound of that. One-on one-fight to the finish, winner take all. When is it?"

"Five days from now." Isao was about to unlock the captains shackles, but then.

"Before I let you go, see them?" Isao pointed behind him. Standing In the threshold was a group of Snipers all pointing their guns directly at the captain and the others.

"Try anything and they will shoot to kill."

"Don't worry." Zaraki grinned. "I was going to slice you up for throwing me in here, but now I think I'll save it for the tournament." Isao scornfully undid the captains shackles, then proceeded to free the others. After they were free, Isao handed them their Zanpakuto, and thankfully they didn't attack him.

"See you in five days kid." Zaraki said with a nasty grin. With that Yumichika opened a senkaimon and he and the others stepped in to it and disappeared in a flash of light.

Five days later, Ichigo and Rukia were waiting in front of the Senkaimon along with the Squad captains; some of whom were reluctant to let Ichigo come to this tournament.

"This does not involve you Ichigo Kurosaki. Why have you come to witness this tournament?"

"Because Byakuya, Orihime is with them, and I plan to get her back."

"You speak as if she in a prisoner again. From what I understand, she joined the Snipers of her own free will."

"I don't care." Ichigo replied. Byakuya grunted in disapproval.

"Just remember that this contest is between the Snipers and us captains. You are prohibited to interfere."

"I know." Ichigo replied with frustration; Rukia had been telling him the same thing over and over for days.

At that moment, The Senkaimon opened with a bright light, and the nine Snipers emerged from it; Orihime was by Isao's side.

"Greetings Snipers, welcome to the Soul Society." The head captain said politely. "If you all would follow me, I will show you to the arena. The head-captain lead the group to a special stadium that had been constructed on Sokyoku Hill. The captains and Snipers proceeded through a side door labeled _contestants__only._Ichigo and Rukia went around to the front entrance. It looked as though the entire population of the Seireitei was here. Ichigo recognized many faces from different squads here, and he even thought he saw Hanataro selling refreshments.

"Hey. Ichigo Rukia over here." They saw Renji gesturing to them. They proceeded through the crowd and sat next to him. They then saw the captains and the Elite entered the arena, the tournament was about to begin.

**To be continued**

**I hope you all enjoyed the new chapter. I promise there will be lots of action in the next couple of chapters. Any reviews would be appreciated, as they inspire me to keep going. The next chapter of "The Return El Dios Hueco" will be coming soon.**

**If you like my fan fictions, then check out my original work on Fictionpress; see link below.**

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